Discover Medicine Lodge

Medicine Lodge combines the landscape of the Gypsum Hills with an unusually prominent history. The town is located in south-central Kansas and offers families and culture-oriented travelers a variety of reasons to stay: museums and historic sites, bodies of water for a day outdoors, as well as performances and regional events. When searching for a vacation rental, you can therefore consider whether your itinerary should focus more on culture, nature, or a combination of both.

Historic Traces in Medicine Lodge

A good starting point for the town’s history is the Stockade Museum. It is located in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, on the south side of US Highway 160. An admission ticket to the Stockade Museum also entitles visitors to enter the Carry Nation Home Museum. The Carry Nation Home is next to the Stockade Museum and was designated a National Historic Landmark in May 1976.

The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. The Treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed in 1867 by the U.S. government’s peace commission and the five Plains tribes: Kiowa, Comanche, Kiowa-Apache, Arapaho, and Cheyenne. The town remains associated with this historic Medicine Lodge Treaty to this day. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Statue commemorates the signing and stands at the intersection of First and Main near Wisner Fountain. The fountain was built in the early 1900s as a water source for people and horses and now stands next to the statue on the grounds of Medicine Lodge Middle School.

The Heritage Center at the corner of US 160 and Isabelle Road offers further insights. There, the Heritage Players perform musicals and plays several times a year. The Sagebrush Gallery of Western Art is a small gallery featuring watercolors by artist Earl Kuhn. The main floor of Maker Mercantile features handmade fine art, photographs, textiles, pottery, and jewelry. It also has a working pottery studio, where visitors may be able to watch the creative work. A historical note about the Grand Hotel records that the hotel was built from bricks made in Medicine Lodge.

Gypsum Hills, Lakes, and Parkland

Medicine Lodge is situated amid the scenic Gypsum Hills. On the northern edge of town is Barber State Fishing Lake in northeastern Barber County. Camping, picnicking, and fishing are permitted throughout the area. Two boat ramps are available; boats may be used there exclusively for fishing. For a nature-focused stay, these opportunities can be combined with Medicine Lodge City Park. The park offers fishing access on Elm Creek and is a free campground with accessible drinking water, public restrooms, and picnic tables.

In the wider area around Medicine Lodge lies Memorial Peace Park, east of town. The Peace Treaty Pageant is performed there in a natural amphitheater. The event commemorates the 1867 peace council between the U.S. government and the Indigenous peoples of the Plains; the treaty-signing scene is performed by descendants of the original tribal signatories. In the park, the Red Rock Trail leads to an outcrop of red Flower-pot Shale. Memorial Peace Park also offers basic tent sites among trees and prairie.

Events and Special Discoveries

Medicine Lodge’s Peace Treaty Festival takes place every September. In the wider area, the Medicine Lodge Intertribal Powwow gives audiences an insight into centuries-old Native American traditions. Vendors there offer Indian tacos and fry bread. Those looking for a smaller, unusual attraction can watch the shadow at the Equatorial Sun Dial and use it to tell the time. The sundial is located on the lawn in front of the high school.

If you would like to expand your search to other places, the portal also features Hardtner and Isabel.

For the overarching travel overview: Barber County.